Collaborative Learning in Practice (CLiP) in a London maternity ward-a qualitative pilot study.

Objectives: Collaborative Learning in Practice (CLiP) is one way of addressing an increase in student placement capacity and potentially improving the student learning experience overall. The aim of this article is to report the findings of a CLiP pilot study undertaken in a London hospital maternity ante- and postnatal ward.

Design: A qualitative explorative study design employing a descriptive online survey and individual semi-structured interviews to evaluate the experiences.

Setting: A London based hospital maternity ante- and postnatal ward PARTICIPANTS: seven midwifery students from a mix of years (1-3) and six staff (all trained midwives) METHODS: The survey results and interview data were transcribed and thematically analysed to identify the barriers and enablers for CLiP RESULTS: Three themes emerged from the data: 1. Preparation for the CLiP pilot, 2. Peer-learning and collaboration as support and resource, 3. Independence and trust as drivers for learning.

Conclusions: The results are in-line with previously conducted CLiP studies. This study contributes to the findings around the set-up of CLiP in a demanding London maternity ward. It demonstrates that adequate preparation is vital, including the role of the CLiP educator to raise awareness, provide training and to support CLiP midwives. The CLiP hour appears beneficial since it offers protected reflection time. CLiP appeared to increase the clinical confidence of students, particularly more experienced students, through peer learning and independence. Larger-scale research is needed.